Is Aaron Donald the best defensive player ever? | First Take 

Why is nobody talking about Deion Sanders. 9 time first-team all-pro, 8 pro bowl selections, a defensive player of the year as a corner, 25 yards per interception. He locked one side of the field and he didn’t have the luxury of resting. The man played on every possession, kick and punt returns, offense as a receiver and defense as a corner and he was the best corner this league has seen by far. Him and LT are by far the greatest defenders because no other players had the dominance they had on their positions defensively.

bring this guy back! it flelt like old skip days to me.. this debate was enjoyable.. im here for maddog on 1st take as a regular!!!

Mad Dog:“I could’ve rushed that bengals” o-line on a Sunday Me: 😂😂 You ain’t lying them boys gave up 50+ sacks

Lawrence Taylor said it best “I don’t consider myself the best defensive player of all time… I look at Reggie White… and we know Reggie was a religious man. When he lined up everyone was praying on offenses that he didn’t hurt them and Reggie was praying that he didn’t hurt you.”

Ray Lewis - 13x pro bowler, 10x All pro (7 first team), 2x Super Bowl champ, Super bowl MVP, 2x DPOTY, led the NFL in tackles 5 seasons, and the leader of arguably the greatest defense of all time in the 2000 Ravens who holds the all time records for fewest points and fewest rush yards giving up in a season. He deserves more recognition in this conversation

These two are perfect together! You have to pair complete opposites that have competitive chemistry but ultimately work together

Mad Dog is perfect for this show! Bring him back asap

*Most 1st Team All Pros in first 8 seasons* 7 - Aaron Donald, Lawrence Taylor 6 - Reggie White, Bobby Bell

Mad dog needs to be here more often. They fit well together and have chemistry

LT impacted both sides of the ball offense and defense. His impact on defense speaks for itself. But he changed how offense approached the game to stop LT.

Chris Russo is great he really keeps up with Steven A. The show is really fantastic when Chris is on.

Man the disrespect that Reggie White gets man. Just go watch tape of that man to see he is one of the most dominant defensive players of all time.

Mad dog is like a young skip, should be on more

People don’t talk about Alan Page enough when it comes to greatest defenders of all time. He was one of only 2 defensive players to win mvp, the other being LT

Donald is definitely up there, but I don't think he's one of the five all-time greatest defensive players. My top 10 would be: 1. Lawrence Taylor (2x SB Champion, NFL MVP, 3x DPOY, 8x First-team All-Pro, 2x Second-team All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowl, 142 sacks, 54 FF, 80's All-Decade Team) 2. Reggie White (SB Champion, 2x DPOY, 8x First-team All-Pro, 5x Second-team All-Pro, 13x Pro Bowl, 2x sacks leader, 198 sacks, 33 FF, 80's and 90's All-Decade Team) 3. Bruce Smith (2x DPOY, 8x First-team All-Pro, 2x Second-team All-Pro, 11x Pro Bowl, most sacks in NFL history (200), 43 FF, 80's and 90's All-Decade Team) 4. Ray Lewis (2x SB Champion, SB MVP, 2x DPOY, 7x First-team All-Pro, 3x Second-team All-Pro, 13x Pro Bowl, 3x tackles leader, most tackles (2059) and solo tackles (1568) in NFL history, 2000's All-Decade Team) 5. Deion Sanders (Stats are meaningless since he was a CB) 6. Deacon Jones (2x DPOY, 5x First-team All-Pro, 3x Second-team All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, approximately 194 sacks, 60's All-Decade Team) 7. Joe Greene (4x SB Champion, 2x DPOY, 5x First-team All-Pro, 3x Second-team All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowl, 78 sacks, 70's All-Decade Team) 8. Aaron Donald (SB Champion, 3x DPOY, 7x First-team All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, 98 sacks, 441 tackles, 23 FF, 2010's All-Decade Team) 9. Jack Lambert (4x SB Champion, DPOY, 6x First-team All-Pro, 2x Second-team All-Pro, 9x Pro Bowl, 1479 tackles, 23 sacks, 70's and 80's All-Decade Team) 10. Mike Singletary (SB Champion, 2x DPOY, 7x First-team All-Pro, 1x Second-team All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowl, 1488 tackles, 19 sacks, 80's All-Decade Team)

Y'all should have MAD DOG on more often!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

Love Donald, but let's not forget LT, Reggie White, Bruce Smith and Deacon Jones. I'd go with LT. I have watched him and Donald. I feel like LT gets a slight edge, but Donald is definitely in the conversation. So are some others I left off list.

I like this guy, he’s matching SA’s energy

These two should pair up more often.

The fact that this is an actual discussion and he’s only 8 years in, says enough

Who is old enough to remember the greatness of Derrick Thomas?? One of the most dominant players I've ever seen. He was to LT like Kobe was to Jordan. Where would he rank if his career wasn't cut so short by a tragic accident.

Mad Dog needs to be permanent he is great...wait till baseball season

Stephen A has met his match, this is awesome!

KEEP THIS MAN WITH STEPHEN A FOR THE SAKE OF SPORTS TELEVISION 😭😭

They stay disrespecting Reggie White!

This first take version of Joel Osteen against Stephen a Smith

Mad Dog is like Skip with Stephen A's temperament

Bring this guy on more often. I love his energy!

Stephen A is right on this precisely because of the difficulty modern defensive players face. Look at how even on the final play of the Super Bowl, Donald had the control to not throw his weight on the QB, avoids a roughing the passer call. You take this guy off the leash and put him into the 90's there's not much of a discussion to be had.

I’m gonna say LT in my opinion because the way that he change the game of football

These two deserve a network all to themselves! They are gold together!

This dude mad dog!!!! I LOVE IT!!! He’s amazing and passionate. Needs to keep this spot permanently

Bruh the way the video starts is all of our reaction to the title

Chris Russo the new Skip Bayless. Get em Mad Dog!!

LT, Deion Sanders, and Ray Lewis are in my Top 3 all time Defensive Players ever, everyone else is fair game but I can say that AD who’s the best player in the world now is Top 5, Top 7 at least but Longevity is important as well and if Aaron Donald decides if he wants to keep playing years to come, this debate finna change❗️

Lawrence Taylor was so great he'd could cover in the passing game

"The bengals line was so bad I could of rushed the quarterback" is the best thing I heard all day

Steven A never fails to make me laugh😭

It's hard to say because they pass more which gives you more opportunity for sacks same thing with every sport offensive concepts change

No one's commenting about how they found Skip Bayless' replacement that looks exactly like him! Haha!

Mad Dog looks like an aggressive version of Skip!

Mad Dog is such a gift lol

This guys should be his co host its funny how good they are together.

Need to see Mad Dog on here more often!!

Sean Taylor was the best all around football player I've ever seen play. 6'3" 235 pound free safety from Miami U. He was murdered in his home at 24 years old. For the youngsters, if you haven't heard of him, just RU-vid it. He was feared by ALL!

Donald is certainly in top 10 defensive player all time. I would still put Reggie white and LT ahead of Donald tho.

More Mad Dog!!

Yo this is great!!! Mad dog and Stephen A is gold

Mad Dog come back for the rest of the week please 🙏 🙂 😆

It's hilarious to see Stephen A struggle against someone older than him bringing up names from the 50s and 60s. They should do that with basketball too. I don't particularly like him disrespecting guys like Big O and Jerry West in "all time" discussions

Its LT then everybody else period.....💯

hes up there ... now i might be a youngcat thats only 18yrs old that doesnt know anything but by all means the best player ive seen play so far at this outstanding elite position is Aaron Donald .. this man goes out and literally gets it .. he has 6.0 sacks in his last 10 playoff games ... he definitly might need a ring or 2 more , along w another DPOY possible

Mad Dog's mind and knowledge of sports is too good for this show. This ESPN stage is for nonsense, not smarts.

2 New Yorker's going at it...I love it!!😊

Need Mad Dog on here everyday.

Mad dog is perfect for this show

I like this dude, have him on more often, Stephen A usually just raises his voice and the other guy laughs and concedes the point, not this guy

He’s the best in HIS generation 🤷🏽‍♂️

LT, Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Von Miller

I love these two! 🍻

It was a different era 30 years ago, to the point of nostalgia, these old head refuse to see any other way lol

This guy is wanted back on the set of The Irishman 2.

The collab we didn’t know we needed

As someone who grew up listening to NYC sports radio (specifically Mike and the Mad Dog) I love hearing these 2 scream at each other.

Off the top of my head without researching: 10. Rod Woodson/Ed Reed 9. Junior Seau 8. Darrell Green 7. Mike Singletary 6. Deion Sanders 5. Ronnie Lott 4. Aaron Donald 3. Ray Lewis 2. Reggie White 1. Lawrence Taylor

There’s no way he’s in front of Lawrence Taylor and Reggie white and Bruce Smith

First Take should be SAS and Mad Dog full time.

I think we got to wait at least a few years, but the fact that 8 years in and they are having this discussion says everything

The best ever? It's hard to tell, but he could literally retire right now if he wanted to, and still be eligible for the HOF. That man has shown nothing but dominance

Lol ok let’s pump the brakes. He’s for sure one of the greats and in easily top 10 but idk about #1

These two are a good fit

Mad dog is on point today.

You have a short memory. Reggie White and Deion Sanders to name two

Stephen A just pass that GOAT title around to anybody whose currently playing accept to LeBron 😂 I still remember when he called Donavan Mitchell the Greatest Jazz ever 😒

I think Stephen A just met hus twin, their both insane. more of him please

1. LT 2. Reggie white 3. Ray Lewis 4. Prime time 5. Bruce Smith 6. Mean joe 7. Donald 8. Hailey 9. Reed 10. Kevin Green Honorable mention both 🙏🏿 Derrick Thomas, junior Seau

Simple answer no L.T is never even watched him cause I am 20 but the fact he won MVP dpoy and a Super Bowl in one season that will most likely never happen again.

Hey, you ! I want you to get up and take a little step 🚶🏽. I know I may feel impossible, I need you to work hard, trust the process, and have faith 🙏🏽❤️‍🔥!

Donald hands down one of the best. He could have played in the past with the LT, Reggie White and others. He’s a terror to the o line

People forget just how good John Randle was as an undersized DL

#56 LT 🐐 of all GOAT'S

We started talking about him about so much as being in the conversation as the best ever when he was just 27/28 years old. That alone says that he’s more than likely the best ever.

Donald and Joe Greene get in the backfield like there are no O-lineman. As interior D-Lineman they deserve extra respect. I really think Donald is in the goat conversation.

I understand what Stephen A is saying. With all the rule changes that hand cuff the defense AD is a beast!

win one more ring then definitely yes!

15 years ago they were arguing is Albert Haynesworth the GOAT

4:17 bruh the new guy is such a good addition with SAS

Stephen A might lowkey be the black Mad Dog tbh love the synergy tho

Lawrence Taylor all day long.

The fact that today's game cater to the passing game which is why sacks are increased. Back in the old days guys like LT and Reggie white was already putting up numbers like today in an era where the offense ran the ball 70% of the time. So no comparison due to the era's of rule changed.

BRO THEY NEED TO COHOST

Donald is the most dominate player at any position in the history of the league. He is so much better than any other D Tackle it’s not even close.

Not that Donald can't catch him one day, but LT is the defensive GOAT.

Randy White was an absolute monster. Probably the best defensive lineman in the late 1970s/early 1980s, incredibly quick and the most intimidating player in the league. No mention of Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Jack Youngblood, Deacon Jones. There have been some tremendous defensive lineman. Donald is great but there are a lot of players that can be in the discussion.

These two are professionals

Remember: Reggie white John randle , warren sapp , Bryant young , Richard Dent , Dan Hampton , Derrick Brooks , Jerome Brown , Howie Long and more

Is Chris Russo the Earth-2 Skip Bayless? Which universe are we in again?

Look like Skip Bayless yells like Gibert Godfried 🤣😭.. but matches SAS

Bruce Smith got 200 sacks total from basically the same positin as Donald. Think about it. (And it was harder back then cause teams ran it 40 times a game and it was legal to block people). To get that you need 20 seasons of 10 sacks per yr or 10 seasons of 20. Now Imagine how insane Reggie White was. He had only 2 sacks less but played 4 years less. Think how insane that is

Heyyy, Welcome back to First Take Skip!